Chilean engineers develop software to teach mathematics

Teachers all over the world struggle to teach young students mathematics. But the Felix Klein Center at the Universidad de Santiago hopes their new software might change that. They’ve recently presented an online tool that aims to revolutionize math teaching through interactive lessons plans.

The Generador de Recursos Educativos Interactivos (Interactive Educational Resources Generator) or GREI, was designed to integrate online communities into mathematics teaching. The software guides teachers in developing interactive arithmetic activities, and helps children work through their troubleshooting process. The software also takes into account the unique learning styles of different students, and plans lessons accordingly.

The system aims to promote interest and enthusiasm for math teaching through the use of new information technologies.

The software is soon launching in the municipal schools of La Granja, an area on the outskirts of Santiago, and in the eight schools of the Fundación Belén Educa, a foundation that funds Catholic schools in Chile and currently teaches about 11,000 students.

The educational director at the Fundación Belén Educa, José María Zañartu, said that the teaching of mathematics has always been a challenge for his teachers, and he is excited about the future of GREI.

“We believe in GREI and we need it urgently,” said Zañartu. “It is the only way for our children to receive a better quality of education,” he said.

The project is sponsored by the Universidad de Concepción, the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona in Spain, and the Department of Education at the Universidad de Santiago.

Chile invests 7.5 percent of its gross domestic product in education, an amount that surpasses some developed countries like Finland and the United States.